How to Call the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom country code is +44. To call a UK number from abroad, dial your country's exit code, then 44, then the UK number without its leading 0. A full UK number has 10 digits after the country code, so a London landline like 020 7946 0018 becomes +44 20 7946 0018 when dialed internationally.

What is the country code for the United Kingdom?

The UK country code is +44. It covers England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Here is the quick reference for everything you need to dial a UK number.

How to call the United Kingdom

The universal format for calling any UK number from abroad is the same. Dial your exit code, then 44, then the UK number without the leading 0.

1. Dial your exit code. This tells your carrier the call is international. From the US and Canada it is 011. From most of Europe and from any mobile phone you can use +.
2. Dial 44. This is the UK country code.
3. Drop the leading 0. UK numbers written domestically start with 0. That 0 is the trunk prefix and is never dialed from abroad.
4. Dial the rest of the number. Area code plus local number, 10 digits total.

Exit codes by country

Dialing format examples

What a UK number looks like

Every UK number has three parts. The country code +44, an area code without its leading 0, and the local number. Together the digits after +44 always add up to 10.

Domestically, UK numbers are written with the leading 0. A Londoner writes their number as 020 7946 0018. A mobile user writes 07911 123456. From abroad, that 0 disappears and +44 takes its place.

Formatting a UK number for WhatsApp

WhatsApp always requires the international format. Save the contact as +44 followed by the number without the leading 0, so 07911 123456 becomes +44 7911 123456. This works for calls, messages, and group invites. If you run a business that texts or calls UK customers, Telnyx Phone Numbers gives you local UK numbers so your calls show a familiar caller ID.

UK area codes, toll-free, and emergency numbers

UK area codes are geographic and vary in length. London uses the short code 020, while most other cities use four-digit codes like 0161. These are the codes you will dial most often.

Special number types

Cost and best time to call the United Kingdom

What you pay depends on how you call. Traditional carriers charge per-minute international rates that add up fast. VoIP and app-based calls are far cheaper, and often free.

The UK runs on GMT (UTC+0) in winter and BST (UTC+1) in summer. UK business hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. translate like this.

Is calling the United Kingdom free?

Sometimes. App-to-app calls over WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Teams cost nothing beyond your internet connection, as long as both sides use the app. Calling an actual UK phone number always costs something. For personal use, apps are the cheapest option. For business calls to real UK landlines and mobiles, VoIP through a SIP trunk gets you the lowest per-minute rates without a monthly plan.

FAQ